Drango farmers arrested and beaten by the Chinese security police

April 3, 2009

Press Release
TCHRD
April 1, 2009

Dharamsala -- According to reliable information
received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights
and Democracy (TCHRD), the Chinese authorities
are on an arrests and beatings drive of
the Tibetan farmers staging a civil disobedience
movement by refusing to till their farmlands in
eastern Tibet. Earlier a monk Phuntsok, age 27,
was beaten to death by the Chinese security
forces on 25 March 2009 by the Chinese security
forces for postings calling for a boycott of farming.

As reports keep surfacing from Drango County,
Kardze "Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture" ("TAP"),
Sichuan Province, sources told TCHRD that the
Chinese authorities have arrested and severely
beaten a number of farmers who defy authorities'
order to till their farmlands. As previously
reported by the Centre, a large contingent of
People's Armed Police (PAP) has been deployed in
Drango County to crush any kind of dissidence and
protest. On 27 March 2009, when a group of
farmers refused to comply the Chinese authorities
order to till their farmlands, they were
subsequently arrested and then subjected to
severe beatings and ill-treatment. According to
sources, fourteen Tibetans sustained injuries,
some seriously. They were currently known to be
kept in a hospital. The relatives of the injured
Tibetans were not allowed to visit them at the hospital.

Sources say, some of the victims became
unconscious after being subjected to inhumane
beatings. A woman named Khethar from Kya-lam
Village is currently said to be in an unable
mental state after receiving severe beatings at
the hands of Chinese security police. Many of
them were forced to sign documents without
knowing its contents. The victims of the Chinese
police abuses were identified as Pema Lhamo,
Yali, Palchen and Choekyi. They were from
villages such as Kya-lam, Khang-mar Gang,
Do-khor, Sar-bar, Khar-cha and Bar-dha all under Drango County.

The Chinese security forces in Drango were
pursuing some Tibetans who eluded arrests. With
the tragic death of monk Phuntsok still fresh in
their minds, the farmers were refusing to farm
their lands despite arrests and beatings. The
situation in Drango County is said to be grim and
volatile. The TCHRD expresses serious concern at
the plight of Drango farmers as impasse continues.